President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has advised the Avenor Traditional Council in the Volta Region to begin the process of mapping out land titles in their communities before the discovery of onshore oil in the near future.
Government, through the Ghana National Petroleum Commission, is in the process of discovering onshore oil in commercial quantities in the area.
According to the President, it is important for the traditional council to begin the process of mapping out land titles immediately to avoid confusion in the area in the event of oil discoveries in the future.
“I appeal to you to be very careful and diligent about mapping out land titles and land development in the area. Let’s do it now before the future discoveries, if discoveries take place,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo said this when the President of the Avenor Traditional Council, Torgbui Dorglo Anumah, led a delegation to visit him at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday.
He said seismic and other studies were ongoing to assess the onshore oil and gas potential of the area and appealed to the chiefs and people to wait patiently for the GNPC to complete the studies.
“We are hoping that if it is positive, then as much as possible, we will make sure that this is an area of our national life which we reserve to Ghanaians for their development.”
“Onshore oil is much cheaper to bring up than offshore oil,” he said and added that the capital requirements of onshore oil was not as expensive as offshore and, therefore, would not require the services of big multinational oil firms.
President Akufo-Addo thanked the council for supporting his administration and pledged to honour the request for buses for the traditional council and the senior High School in the area.
He was also hopeful that the the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development would also honour the request for the creation of the Avenor Municipal Assembly.
Torgbui Anumah on his part thanked the President for granting them a traditional council status, adding that the new status had strengthened their position as chiefs to discharge their traditional rites as an autonomous body without hindrance.
He also expressed gratitude to the President for honouring the request to grace the 30th anniversary celebration of the separation of Akatsi from Ketu in the Volta Region.
He thanked the President for the introduction of the Free Senior High School and the Planting for Food and Jobs which has increased rice production in their area, among other interventions.
BY YAW KYEI
